Are you tired of hearing people say, “I don’t have time to read?” Are you tired of saying it yourself? Every few years it seems we need a reminder — and permission — to read. (Remember Drop Everything and Read?)

Yes, reading can be a diversion, an excuse, and even a luxury, but it’s not just those things. (If you have any doubts about that, read this article. It’s my new anthem!)

Taking time to read is crucial to our well-being (for many of us, anyway). It provides this beautiful synergy of relaxation and inspiration. How many other things can both comfort and compel to action in one fell swoop?

And yet, the guilt persists.

Tell me if this sounds familiar: Your hardworking spouse enters the room to find you reading . . . again . . . and you feel the urge to leap off the couch as if you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar, and begin explaining that you “just sat down . . .” etc., etc. (To which my spouse usually says, “Oh . . . kay,” as he sits down to watch TV. Clearly the perception of laziness is on my end, not his.)

But yes, I do feel guilty for taking a few minutes to sit and read, particularly when the dishes aren’t done or the dog’s not walked. BUT, when I save reading as a reward for completing such tasks, more often than not, the tasks never end. And I never get to collect on the reward.

Instead, I suggest putting reading ON your to-do list. Crazy, right? But tell yourself you can read for half an hour and then you’ll walk the dog and (maybe) wash the dishes. It’s important. And you are not weak or lazy for it. You are bettering yourself, expanding your horizons, and exercising your mind. And we all know how important exercise is.

And if you don’t quite get to the dishes, that’s okay, because the dishes will still be there tomorrow. (They don’t need any exercise.)

One summer when I was in high school, I helped out coaching the local Summer Rec T-Ball team. My favorite T-Ball moment of all time happened that summer when one of the opposing shorties spanked a hot, bases-loaded ground ball to our own little shortstop, name of Darren Johnson. Darren somehow scooped the grounder up cleanly (always a miraculous development when a T-Ball grounder is thusly handled), and that’s where the fun began.

Suddenly, the action was fierce. Since the bases were full, there were runners digging for station-to-station safety in all directions. Including…

The batter chugging to first.

The baserunner on first hotfooting it to second.

The baserunner on second who had broken for third but had then frozen having seen Darren directly in his path.

The baserunner on third sprinting for some home plate glory.

But that’s not all, because…

Little Damien Miller, our third baseman, was calling for Darren to throw it to him, just a short toss away. And Darren and Damien were pretty good friends, increasing the attractiveness of this option.

Travis Herding was yodeling for Darren to throw over to second to start the 6-4-3 double play. Highly unlikely, but still a remote possibility.

Corey Fishel was holding his glove aloft at first—his expectant posture suggesting, Why not throw it here? First base is always a decent option.

Jeremiah Missling, the catcher, was waving his arms and jumping up and down on top of home plate, his every fiber suggesting, Throw it here, throw it here! Save the run! By god, man—throw it here!

And then you have to add in the advice coming, not so gently, from in the stands. Damien Miller’s parents and a motley collection of Travis Herding’s siblings—of which there were many—and Corey Fishel’s dad and Jeremiah Missling’s mom, not to mention everybody else. And if you think the coaches were the only ones keeping quiet, well, you’ll have to think again.

As Darren spun toward third, then second, then home, then first, then third again, the situation was clearly spinning out of control. The look on Darren’s face showed that he knew he had to do something soon, but what it was exactly that he should do was becoming more and more unclear. Again he twirled toward each bag in turn, doing a perfect pirouette. Throw it Darren, throw it!

When he started the third pirouette, I knew that Darren was unlikely to help our team record an out on that particular play. This notion was soon cemented when Darren finally stopped, dizzied, and fired the ball deep into left-center field.

*

The game of baseball is a complex one. If you don’t think so, try explaining to a kid sometime why a foul ball is a strike, but you can’t strike out when hitting a foul ball. And then go ahead and try explaining a sacrifice fly. Or a balk. Or the Infield Fly Rule. But don’t let that stop you from encouraging a kid to learn.

Mankato's Newest Baseball Enthusiast

I’m not going to lie when I say that I had to try multiple ways to get my son Archie, who’s seven, interested in baseball. We watched games on TV, went to games, played video games, and got out there in the yard and even on the diamond. Things never took off for him until this summer, his first year of bona fide T-Ball in the Mankato Area Youth Baseball Association (MAYBA). He got a great hat, his first pair of cleats (which I’m fairly certain he snuck in his backpack and wore to school one day late in the school year), and a real leather mitt that smelled only like a real leather mitt can.

I was surprised how many young ballplayers out there were into the game. You hear occasional stories of baseball dying out a little more each year with the proliferation of other (possibly more user-friendly) sports, not to mention the digital hobbies the youths of today take up. But, at least in Mankato, Minnesota, USA, baseball seems alive and well. It was great to see Archie suddenly want to learn to throw and catch and hit. And he wants more than just to play. He wants to know about the game. As a beginning reader, his new interest in baseball has led him to more than a few fine offerings in baseball literature.

Capstone, in particular, continues to offer some great product featuring America’s Pastime. From Michael Dahl’s GOODNIGHT BASEBALL to AMAZING BASEBALL RECORDS written by Thom Storden to ALL ABOUT BASEBALL by Matt Doeden, you won’t find a misplayed grounder. I had the great fortune to be editorially involved in the SIX DEGREES OF SPORTS set just this last year, and I’d put our SIX DEGREES OF DAVID ORTIZ: CONNECTING BASEBALL STARS title, written by Tyler Omoth, up against any other non-fiction baseball title out there. It’s original, it’s educational, and it’s highly entertaining. What more could you ask for? Even if it’s only through literature, you’d do well to take yourself, or a young shortstop you may know, out to the ballgame.

Girls’ self esteem peaks at age 9. That’s the headline I read a few years ago. According to a study by the NYU Child Study Center, girls feel awesome about themselves in fourth grade, and then their esteem plummets until it starts to rise again a decade later.

Guess how old my daughter was when I read that headline. Yep — nine.

There is something wonderful about preteen girls. When they are happy, they glow from the inside out. Their giggles rival those of babies and are equally infectious. They are fiercely protective of each other, offering advice and hugs as needed. But they can doubt themselves. They wonder why their hair is kinky or straight or so blond or so black. They get nervous about trying new things. They can be nasty to each other as a defense mechanism.

So what’s a mom to do, knowing that that plummet is right around the corner? She pushes back. She fills her daughter’s world with positive role models, experiences, and of course, inspiring books. Books like the Victoria Torres, Unfortunately Average series.

Friends for Keeps author, Julie Bowe, has created a smart, funny, kind friend for girls in Victoria Torres. Vicka, as her friends call her, doubts herself from time to time. She even calls herself “unfortunately average.” But she doesn’t let her self-doubt stand in her way. In each of her four stories, she comes to realize that hard work and kindness will always make her shine. And she’s got a great family and supportive friends to boot.

I can’t wait to introduce Vicka to all the tween girls in my life. She’s the kind of friend I wish for my daughter. And, thankfully, she’s the kind of friend I sometimes see my daughter being. Growing up is hard — having a friend like Vicka certainly helps!

What better way to showcase a preview of our upcoming Fall 2015 season than in tree form? I got this idea from the brilliant 100 Scope Notes blog, which featured a word cloud of book titles that had been awarded Newbery honors.

Words that show up frequently in those titles include Summer, King, and Cat, among others. It made me curious: What words show up most frequently in Capstone titles?

Behold, Capstone's Fall 2015 title list (just fiction books) in word cloud form. It seems that we have lots of darkness and monsters on the horizon! Along with some mysterious characters named Katie and Jim . . .

Between June 24 and July 2, U2 performed 5 AMAZING shows at the United Center in Chicago. I was lucky enough to attend 4 of them and be in the front row on the main floor each of those nights, each night from a different perspective. As a lifelong fan of the band, I’m a seasoned veteran at the general admission experience. Although I’m not as extreme or fanatical as some of the band’s followers (I’ve only camped out overnight once and that was in Hawaii), I do know that to get the best spots on the floor, you need to get there EARLY. I also know the general time the band arrives and that, without fail, at least one or two of the band members will come out to greet the faithful, even in the pouring rain. Unfortunately for me, I missed seeing the band arrive before each of the concerts I attended…until the last one on July 2!

Admittedly, I didn’t get to the parking lot as early as I would’ve liked, so by the time I got there, about 100 or so fans had already arrived. Needless-to-say that I missed out on getting a primo spot, but I’m not complaining. My goal was to give a member of the band a personalized copy of U2: Changing the World Through Rock 'n' Roll, the book I wrote, and with any luck, get a copy autographed for myself.

After waiting for about a half hour, two black SUV's pulled into the parking lot and drove straight into the stadium via the loading dock. We knew these were members of the band, but much to our disappointment, nobody got out of the vehicles. After about 15 more minutes with no action, my friend Margaret decided to give up and head back to the car.

Before Margaret abandoned me, we had been talking to Chris and Beth, a couple who are working on a photography project documenting fans with U2 tattoos. It’s called the U2 Tattoo Project and they hope to publish it in book form when completed. Anyway, after Margaret left, I realized that if I had the opportunity to give my book to a member of the band, I’d have no one to take a picture for me, so I asked Chris and Beth. They happily agreed.

Soon after, a black sedan pulled into the parking lot. From experience, we knew that this was bassist Adam Clayton, who for reasons unknown to us, prefers to ride in sedans rather than SUVs. Much to our delight, Adam got out of the car and started greeting fans. A couple minutes later, a third black SUV pulled up. A door opened and out stepped Bono. The crowd was ECSTATIC! Of course, both guys started greeting fans at the end where the early-birds had lined up. Moments later, drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. and Edge, the world’s greatest guitarist, came walking up the ramp from inside the stadium. They all shook hands with some lucky fans and signed a few autographs. This is practically unprecedented to have ALL FOUR guys come out on the same day! I couldn’t believe it!

Bono and Adam didn’t stay out very long. Both got in their respective vehicles and went down the ramp into the stadium before making their way down to the end where I was standing. Even so, I got some spectacular photos!

Larry came down by where we were standing and I was going to give him a copy of my book. But the Tattoo Project people were talking to him, so I didn’t get a chance to. He did shake my hand though. :)

At this point, I was sending Edge mental messages—“Please come down by me, Edge! I want to give you my book.” Perhaps he heard me or perhaps it’s just because he never wants to leave anyone out, but he did make his way down to us. Now, at this point, I must mention that the band members were on the other side of a fence from us. But luckily for me, where I was standing, there was a foot or so gap between the fence and the ground.

When Edge got to me, I said, “Edge, I wrote a children’s book about you guys and I’d like you to have a copy.” I kneeled down and passed it to him under the fence. He looked at it and smiled and said, “Thank you!” By this point, fans were swarming all around and asking for autographs, and one rather large man was being quite pushy. I was still kneeling down and was practically plastered against the fence, but I did manage to get my other copy of the book and push it under the fence as I said, “Edge, could I have you sign a copy for me, too?” He sort of laughed and said, “That would be a good idea, wouldn’t it?” I said, “Yes. Thank you! You’re the best, Edge! I love you guys! God bless.”

He handed me the book back and that was that. I got out of the mob and found the Tattoo Project people who had snapped some good photos for me.

Today just happens to be an odd culmination of holidays. It’s Bastille Day, Pandemonium Day, and National Nude Day. Could we get a more odd mix of holidays? I suppose pandemonium and nudeness could coincide while celebrating the end of the French constitutional monarchy. And now that I’ve led your mind astray I should probably reel it back in.

It turns out that Bastille Day is a lot like our Fourth of July. They also have food, drinks, parades, and fireworks! How magical would it be to watch fireworks near the Eiffel tower? I personally think we should all embrace this day a little bit by eating some French pastries with a shot of espresso.

Here are a few things we should know about this day:

Bastille is the name of a medieval prison where political prisoners were held for arbitrary reason. They had no chance of appeal from Louis XVI’s government.

In turn, the prison became a symbol of the oppressive monarchy.

The fortress was stormed by the people of Paris on July 14, 1789.

There were only 7 prisoners in Bastille that day.

The revolt was very symbolic to the liberation of the French public.

The flag of France is also red, white, and blue. It stands for liberty, equality, and fraternity for all.

In celebration, along with fireworks by the Eiffel tower, people may also attend a Fireman’s Ball. This is a series of parties hosted by France’s fire stations. They open their doors for the day, which creates a giant outdoor fair.

If you’d like to buff up on your French for the day, you can check out some of our books:

For the Fourth of July weekend, I'll spend the majority of my time reading. Well, sleeping, and then reading. My TBR pile is falling over on my nightstand, and my to-be-read-at-some-future-unspecified-date pile has taken over my entire desk. It's time to make a dent.

With the July 4th on the horizon, it's a good time to be thinking about what it means to be an American, and how that definition can change from one person to another. I hope to make some progress on Americanah, "A powerful, tender story of race and identity by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie".

Over the weekend, Mankato, Minnesota took a step back in time to celebrate the Deep Valley Homecoming. This annual celebration honors author Maud Hart Lovelace and her Betsy-Tacy books. Book lovers from across the country descended on our sleepy little city to go on guided tours of the Betsy-Tacy houses and horse-drawn trolley rides. There was also a book festival, Victorian tea party, and even a murder-mystery dinner.

Well, they had me at book festival. But there was only one small problem—I’ve never read the Betsy-Tacy books. In fact, I first heard about this series a few months ago. I found out pretty quickly I was missing out, because fans consider Betsy and Tacy part of their childhoods, just like Laura Ingalls and Ramona Quimby.

Stepping into the book festival, I saw many treasured children’s books from Minnesota authors—including Capstone books. Capstone’s Mari Bolte participated in the publisher’s panel. She talked about what it was like working for a children’s book publisher and described some of her favorite Capstone books over the years. Mari also manned Capstone’s booth at the festival. She showed children of all ages some of the amazing books coming out this season.

Mari speaking on the festival's panel for Minnesota publishers

Spotlight on Mari!

Mari rocking the Capstone booth

Mari: a senior editor with many hats

One of my favorites is Capstone’s Wearable Books series. That’s right, I said wearable books! Readers can pose with long beards, zombie teeth, or superhero masks right inside the books. I couldn’t help but try a few on myself.

Michelle the Magnificent!

What? Do I have something on my face?

Time for Tucker to visit the groomer...

You can join in the fun too. We’re giving away a Wearable Book to the first three people to leave a comment below. Tell us what your favorite children’s book is for your chance to win Book-O-Hats, Book-O-Masks, or Book-O-Teeth.

Now that I work as a children's book editor, I've been thinking it'd be beneficial to reread some of my favorite children's books with a more critical eye. What made me enjoy those books? What are the common themes?

One that jumps out at me right away, without having to reread, is that most of my favorite books had a strong, central female character whom I wanted to be just like. Here are a few of my favorites.

One great thing about working on books for a living is that I get to play a small role in helping to shape characters, and that many of these characters will end up being role models for little girls, just like they were (and continue to be!) for me.

[Cooper's] full-page artwork—oil paintings in softly textured yellows and browns—captures the tender relationship between a father and daughter and the sadness and pride of their family story. Broad sweeps of history are encapsulated in double-page spreads focusing on determined, prayerful and happy faces. A quiet and informative picture of belated emancipation.

- Kirkus Reviews on Juneteenth for Mazie

Today is Juneteenth, and it is the 150th anniversary of June 19, 1865, when a proclamation of the abolition of slavery was officially issued.

As someone who did not learn of this holiday until reaching adulthood, I'm proud that Capstone has published Juneteenth for Mazie, a timeless book by award-winning author-illustrator Floyd Cooper that explores the Juneteenth celebration in a joyful, thoughtful light. Cooper explores the history of the holiday, and we learn alongside little Mazie as she takes in an important piece of her cultural and familial history.

It shocks me that I went practically twenty years without hearing a word about Juneteenth, but it gladdens me that there are now many resources like this book that introduce children to some of the hardships and triumphs of fighting for the most basic of human rights — to be free.

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